Blood test technology shows potential for early multi-cancer detection

Medical experts from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and Alexandra Hospital are highlighting a new approach to cancer screening known as Multicancer Early Detection (MCED). This technology utilizes blood tests to simultaneously detect multiple types of cancer by analyzing cell-free DNA (cfDNA) for specific methylation patterns.

Recent clinical data from the NHS-Galleri study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, supports the clinical value of this method. The large-scale randomized trial conducted in England involved 142,250 participants aged 50 to 77. The study compared a group receiving the Galleri test alongside standard screening against a group following conventional practices.

The technology aims to identify potential cancer signals and predict the organ of origin, thereby guiding subsequent diagnostic procedures. This could address the limitations of current screening programs, which cover only a limited number of malignancies.